​In early 1776 Thomas Paine brought the idea of independence from Great Britain to the forefront of the colonists in America through his document called "Common Sense." Its two main points were independence from England and creation of a democratic republic. By July 2, our Founding Fathers decided to declare that independence and on July 4, 1776, America was born. The Declaration of Independence declared that a separation from England was justified to secure our "God-given rights." Later, John Adams said, "The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity."
 
Indeed, Christianity had a profound influence on our Founding Fathers. Many of them recognized that for democracy to be successful the nation's people would have to be educated in the morals and values of Christianity and that the Bible would be the text from which they should learn these. Because of this, many schools were established to teach the principles of the Bible and to encourage faith in God in the country's young people.
 
The American landscape is full of churches that were planted to worship God and help grow up generations of individuals with strong faith. I believe that without a powerful base of citizens with a strong faith in God America would have failed. It was the faith of the generations that came before us that helped them endure hardships and gave them the willingness to sacrifice for a better tomorrow.
 
Attacking the faith of the Christian community has been, and continues to be, a strategy of the evil one. It is amazing that we have been able to prevail. Some might take exception with this idea, but I believe that it is the faith of the Christian community that will save the nation of the United States from destruction. There is a remnant of Believers that has taken a stand to defy the attacks of evil. There will continue to be challenges to our Christian activities in the future, but our stand on the foundation of righteousness and justice will be the key to our success.
 
How should a Christian mark Independence Day this year? May I suggest that we bind together in prayer. Let us repent for the sins of our nation. We must ask God to forgive us for not putting Him first and following His ways. We must acknowledge that we have turned away from the Lord's commandments and justified the sin in our lives. Those who serve our country in government or military need our prayers for protection and blessing. They also need to understand the truth, for it is the truth that will set them free. (John 8:32) For those who are deceived, we must pray for them to be awakened and that salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ would be theirs. It is imperative that we call on the mercies of God to shield and protect the Church in this hour and that she would be strong in shining God's light and love brightly. Expressing our thanksgiving is a must! Let us ask God to awaken and revive our nation so that we will be leaders in proclaiming the goodness of God to the world. We should remember God's promises to us through His Word, especially the one that tells us He will never leave or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:8) Here is what Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." (Verse 6)

Tomorrow, we celebrate a day called "Memorial Day." The end of the Civil War, in 1865, was the impetus for the establishment of the country's first national cemetery. Also, John A. Logan, who was the leader of the Northern Civil War Veterans called for a day to commemorate the sacrifices of the veterans of the Civil War. This holiday evolved as one to remember all American service people who died in any military conflict. Originally known as Decoration Day, it became an official federal holiday in 1971.
 
It is because we want to honor, respect, and recognize our soldiers that we remember them. Because of their sacrifices we live in a land of freedom. We cannot take these freedoms for granted. We must recall the reasons for their sacrifices and live God-honoring lives. Our history is rich with stories of how God established our ancestors to be shining lights for Him. He knows how important it is for us to recount the times when He showed His mighty hand on our behalf. Over 200 times the Bible uses the word "remember." The Lord does not want us to forget the way He cared for our forefathers or the covenant that He made with them. Generations later God still keeps His covenant and tells us to remember.
 
In Exodus 6:5 God assures the Israelites that He remembers the covenant He made with them. This remembrance brought Him to lead the Israelites out of bondage. They saw many signs and wonders including the opening of the Red Sea so that they could walk to the other side, the drowning of the Egyptians who pursued them, and the provision of water, bread, and quail in the wilderness. It was so important to God that the Israelites and subsequent generations remember what God did for them and the covenant He made with them that he designated a time at the beginning of each year to retell the story of His faithfulness. We call this remembrance Passover. God told His people, "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you..." (Deuteronomy 15:15) "...for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt." (Deuteronomy 16:3) "Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you." (Deuteronomy 32:7)
 
The stories of the Lord's goodness and faithfulness were to be shared regularly; one generation was to tell the next generation, and they in turn would tell the next one. "Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles and the judgments He pronounced..." (1 Chronicles 16:12) It is not only important to tell of what God did, but to teach His commands to the next generation. "Hear, O Israel:  The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commands that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
 
Like the soldiers we honor on Memorial Day, let us give honor to God for all the victories He has given to our ancestors and to us. We want to learn the lessons our ancestors learned so that we do not repeat any mistakes that they made. We want to remember the faithfulness of God. God's willingness to send us a Savior and a Redeemer point to His commitment to our futures. The events of the past are meant to give us hope for the future. Through respecting the Lord, remembering His covenant, and making a commitment to live a life that honors Him, we set into place a future rich in the abundant blessings of the Lord. Let us remember His love and faithfulness.

King David set up his son Solomon with every benefit possible so that he could succeed in building the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. The favor of the Lord was upon Solomon in that God gave him wisdom, riches, and fame. Yet, Solomon did not use the wisdom given to him. Footnotes from the Chronological Life Application Study Bible explain: "Wisdom is only effective when it is put into action. Early in his life, Solomon had the sense to recognize his need for wisdom. But by the time Solomon asked for wisdom to rule his kingdom, he had already started a habit that would make wisdom ineffective for his own life—he sealed a pact with Egypt by marrying Pharaoh's daughter. She was the first of hundreds of wives married for political reasons. In doing this, Solomon went against not only his father's last words but also against God's direct commands." (Page 607)
 
There are so many problems with Solomon's chosen lifestyle. I believe the major one is his failure to follow the Ten Commandments, especially the first one, as it lays the foundation for all the others: "You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3) It is difficult to understand how Solomon could have gone so far astray. It was he who penned Proverbs 1:7. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." The fear of the Lord is such a deep reverence and respect for God that we have no higher priority than honoring Him and His laws.
 
Imagine this king making an alliance with the nation of Egypt after Israel's history of being in slavery to the Egyptian rulers for 430 years! When Solomon made this and other pacts with foreign nations, he would marry a daughter of their king and bring her to Jerusalem. She would bring her idols to her new home. Solomon would build his new wife a temple for her idols. This foolish pattern brought him into worship of many foreign gods and the disrespect of the first commandment—the foundation of a life that honors the One True God.
 
Over 500 years later, Nehemiah, the one who led the Jewish remnant to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, noticed that some of the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Their wives led them astray, and Nehemiah had to lay down the law for them. "You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves. Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon, king of Israel, sinned?" (Nehemiah 13:25-26)
 
Idols take many forms. Anything that takes on more value than God is an idol. As I pointed out before, if the Lord is first in our lives, all ten of the Commandments should be followed. Moses told the Israelites that if they obeyed what the Lord had taught them it would go well with them and they would "increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors promised you." (Deuteronomy 6:3) Moses went on to sum up all God's commandments in two sentences: "Hear, O Israel:  The Lord your God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) This Jewish prayer is known as the "Shema," meaning "Hear." It is the centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayers.
 
I grieve for myself and those in our nation because we have embraced so many idols. The nation of the United States was established on godly principles. In fact, numerous government buildings have the Ten Commandments etched in stone or hanging on the walls of their entrances. How have we gone so far astray? Can we find our way back? There is such a need for the fear of the Lord and a spirit of repentance to fall on our nation. Many are asking God to revive us. We are in desperate need of revival so that we remember who God is and what He has done for us. Will you join me in prayer for the transformation of the people of America?

​This year marks the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving and a time to look back at God’s consistent faithfulness to America. Those who traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to begin a new nation were guided by the Lord to establish a place where He would be worshiped, and freedom of religion would be practiced. One of the meanings of the noun pilgrim is "a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons." Our national holiday had its origins from the 1621 autumn feast held by the Pilgrims and the local Indians. The feast was meant to celebrate the harvest and the blessings of the past year. Included in the first Thanksgiving were 53 Pilgrims made up of four women, 14 young boys and girls, 13 infants and young children, and 22 men according to David Barton, the founder of Wall Builders. They joined 90 Indian warriors from the Wampanoag tribe. For three days they dined on game, vegetables, corn bread, and berries. In between eating, they engaged in competitions including running, wresting, and shooting. As students of the Bible, the Pilgrims sought to apply its principles. They spent time thanking God for delivering them from a land of persecution and bringing them to America where the native people taught them how to survive and prosper in their new land.
 
Looking back to the time when the Pilgrims were instituting a way of life in the "New World," we can see that their civil government started with the Mayflower Compact. Their belief in equality for everyone was demonstrated when all the passengers on the ship signed the Compact. Jon Hamill, a descendant of a Pilgrim and co-founder of Lamplighter Ministries, described the atmosphere when the original signers of the Compact gathered together:  "The move of the Holy Spirit was with them. In fact, when they wrote the Mayflower Compact...they said, 'In the presence of God, and one another.' They honored the presence of God, knowing that God had sent them apostolically across the waters to found a nation in freedom, to found a nation in covenant with Christ."
 
There is no doubt that a Christian heritage formed the basis for our country. As America prospered, those from other nations began to take note of her successes. Dr. Ben Carson, in his book, America the Beautiful, shares that in 1831 a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville came to decipher the secrets of America's success. He wrote, "I sought for the key to the greatness and genius of America in her harbors...in her fertile fields and boundless forests, in her rich mines and vast world commerce, in her public school system and institutions of learning. I sought for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if American ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
 
Alexis also wrote, "The religious aspect of the country was the first thing that struck my attention...In France I had almost always seen the spirit of religion and the spirit of freedom marching in opposite directions. But in America I found they were intimately united and that they reign in common over the same country." I think we can see evidence that 400 years after the first Thanksgiving and the enactment of the Mayflower Compact, our foundations are under attack. Religion and freedom are marching in opposite directions. The model for the laws incorporated into our Bill of Rights and the basis for all education—the Bible—has been cast aside. We must ask ourselves why many of today's pulpits are not flaming with righteousness and the goodness of America is compromised. The foundations of America must be rebuilt! It is time for us to embrace the legacy that the Pilgrims left for us. This Thanksgiving we should be on our knees in repentance for our cavalier attitude toward God and His Word. It is time for us to shore up our foundations with prayer and declarations from the Bible. Jesus told His disciples, "Men always ought to pray and not lose heart." (Luke 18:1 - NKJ)  We must thank God for our Christian heritage and be faithful in our prayers for our nation and the church.

The Poconos, an upland region of the Allegheny Plateau, was named by the Munsee Indians, a subtribe of the Lenape Indians.  Its original name was “Pokawahne,” which means "Creek Between Two Hills," referring to the Delaware River.  The land is an optimum habitat for Hemlock trees who thrive in moist soil, shaded areas, and steep gorges and ravines.  Cornell University scientists call the Eastern Hemlock the "foundation specie" of the Poconos forest.  It grows along with mixed hardwoods like maple and black birch and is considered the cornerstone of the hardwood forests.  Because of this, the Hemlock tree is the PA state tree.  The dominant Hemlock exerts a major influence on all other living things that share its environment, including plants, animals, birds, and fish.  One can smell the fresh, clean air when they are in a forest dominated by this tree.  The unique soil and water conditions make a home for native rhododendron, spicebush, viburnum varies, ferns, Mayflower, and the evergreen groundcover called Partridgeberry.  Those who study ecosystems in the USA note the many benefits of the Hemlock tree:

1. Giver of aesthetic beauty
2. Contributor to good air quality (Hemlocks filter pollutants by capturing and storing large amounts of
    CO2 and releasing O2 into the environment.)
3. Provider of food and habitats for birds and animals
4. Improver of water quality (Shallow roots filter runoff and keep water clean by preventing         sedimentation and filtering pollutants.  Decomposition of acidic needles changes the makeup of soil     and water.)
5. Provider of shade for the streams and aquatic life  (Shade keeps the water cooler and more
    oxygenated and keeps snow from melting until later in the spring, maintaining cooler temperatures.)
6. Source of shade for native plants
 
Sadly, our Pennsylvania native tree is under attack from a small, aphid-like insect brought into our country from Asia.  The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA) was discovered in the United States in 1951.  By 2002 the HWA had infested Hemlock trees from Georgia to New Hampshire.  In 2002 the Hemlocks in the Poconos were showing signs of decline from the HWA infestation.  The insects suck the sugar from the veins of the trees so that they are unable to produce new growth.  The foliage becomes pale and grey in appearance and eventually dies.  Researchers have found that the decline of the Hemlocks cause decomposition of the forest floor.  In addition, water temperatures are increasing, allowing algae to grow in the streams.  This negatively affects the trout that need clear, cool, unpolluted water to survive.
 
Last week, as my husband and I walked through the Pocono Mountain area called Dingmans Ferry, God began to show me an analogy between the Church and the Hemlock tree.  Just as the Hemlock is the foundation specie of the Pocono forest, the Church should remain the foundation or cornerstone of our nation.  That is how the Church was positioned when The United States was established.  The roots of the Church are planted in the love of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:17) and must remain here.  The prophet Isaiah reminds us that our foundation comes from the Spirit of the Lord that rises from the stump of Jesse.  "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord...In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to Him, and His resting place will be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:2, 10)
 
Like the HWA attacks the Hemlock to keep it from growing, we have an enemy who is attacking the Church to keep Her from growing.  The Psalmist asks a question:  "When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3)  It is true that those with a liberal agenda scheme to destroy the moral foundation of our nation. However, our God is aware of what is happening.  He loves justice.  He longs "to be gracious to us and to be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress...He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure." (Isaiah 33:2, 6)  The future of our world is dependent on us (The Church) being salt and light.  Our prayers make a difference!  As children of God, we should be transforming the environment around us so that we exert a major influence on those who live around us.  We are the Foundation for our nation!

​There is no question that America's origins are rooted in a passion to recover and live out the Christianity of the New Testament."  So writes Eddie Hyatt in his book, America's Revival Heritage.  He continues: "The first generation of immigrants to America were normally vibrant in their faith and passionate in their vision for a revival of New Testament Christianity.  Their children and grandchildren, however, while retaining many of the outward forms of worship and doctrine, tended to lose the vitality and vision of their parents and grandparents.  As former generations passed from the scene, the original passion for Christian reform and renewal passed away with them, and succeeding generations were left "having a form of godliness but denying its power.'" (2 Timothy 3:5)
 
As we celebrate the 245th anniversary of the birth of our nation, we can see that the concerns raised by Eddie Hyatt about the vitality of our faith continue.  The activity of many of our churches confirms Hyatt's assertion that passion for the Lord and His ways is waning.  A segment of our society is attacking anything that interferes with their liberal point of view.  Their agenda includes erasing the truth of how our nation was founded.  They find faith in Jesus and His Word offensive.  They seem to know that if they rewrite history, they can control the future.
 
Here is the truth:  America was founded for the glory of God.  Public education was instituted to teach our children the fear of the Lord and the ways of the Word of God.  Our mandate from the Lord is to grow in our relationship with Him and our understanding of His ways so that we can spread the Gospel around the world and bring light to the darkness.  Those who wrote the Declaration of Independence got their words and ideas from the Bible.  This document has impacted human rights around the world according to Mr. Hyatt.  We should note that 27 of the 56 founding fathers were trained as ministers.  And, the motto of the American Revolution—"No King but King Jesus"—had an obvious spiritual emphasis.
 
John Adams, one of our founding fathers, left no doubt where the ideas for our Declaration of Independence came from.  He said, "The general principles on which the founding fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity."  We, as the people of God, must be at the forefront of the movement to protect our history and to acknowledge that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was active in intervening on our behalf.  He used Bible-believing people to fight for the independence of our nation and established a godly way of life that would spread the Good News of His love and care for us.
 
I grew up in the 1960s and remember when prayer and Bible reading were outlawed in public schools. The Church let it happen, and it continued unchallenged.  Those who initiated the fight against Christian practice in schools through the Supreme Court were not satisfied with their judicial win.  Hyatt writes, "...These radical secularists now seek to remove any vestige of Christian influence from the public square.  An undeniable part of their strategy is to rewrite and reinterpret America's past and to disseminate their revisions through a government-run educational system."
 
Psalm 33:12 tells us this:  "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose as His inheritance."  We must do what we can to be sure that our history is not rewritten and that our future in America is secured through prayers and living godly lives.  Here is how Eddie Hyatt summarizes this:  "A government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people, can only be sustained by a people who are continually revitalized in their faith and in their commitment to moral principles.  This means that a nation that was birthed out of Spiritual awakening can only be sustained by a people who are continually awakened and revitalized in their faith...We will either have revival or we will have revolution; we will either have Spiritual awakening or we will have societal chaos.  Both history and Scripture teach us that the future of America rests squarely on the shoulders of the professing Christians of this nation."  There is no doubt that we are in a battle for the soul of our nation.  We must renew our passion for the Lord and cry out for a Spiritual awakening that will transform America back to its intended purpose!

First known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated three years after the end of the Civil War.  It became an official federal holiday in 1971.  An organization of veterans established the day as a time for our nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers and flags.  Gradually the holiday evolved into a day of remember and honoring military individuals who died in all the wars.  Throughout the United States, parades are held, red poppies are worn in remembrance of fallen soldiers (started during WWI), gatherings with picnics are organized, and trips are taken because of the long weekend.
 
I read that at times Memorial Day has been used as a day to remember fallen heroes who did not die on a traditional battlefield.  So, I would like to use this letter to remember and honor a man who I consider a hero of America.  The Reverend Robert Hunt, a clergyman of the Church of England, was appointed as chaplain for 105 men and boys who sailed from England to Cape Henry, Virginia.  After 144 days at sea, the crew landed on the southern edge of the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.  The landing spot was named Cape Henry in honor of the Prince of Wales, Henry Frederick.
 
After landing on April 26, 1607, Rev. Hunt gathered the band of men together to give God glory for their successful trip and to pray to Him as they established a settlement in the New World.  Bob Long, of Rally Call Ministries, researched Rev. Hunt's prayer which was an offering of covenant to God.  He says of the prayer, "It was heartfelt, deliberate, and offered with appropriate spiritual protocol. The embryonic nation was now in true covenant with God.  The wooden cross, planted in the sand beside their kneeling prayer, witnessed their dedication of the land to God and the covenant oath with which they did it."
 
Here is Rev. Hunt's prayer of Covenant with God:  "We do hereby dedicate this Land, and ourselves, to reach the People within these shores with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to raise up Godly generations after us, and with these generations take the Kingdom of God to all the earth.  May this Covenant of Dedication remain to all generations, as long as this earth remains, and may this Land, along with England, be Evangelists to the World.  May all who see this Cross remember what we have done here, and may those who come here to inhabit, join us in this Covenant and in this most noble work that the Holy Scriptures may be fulfilled."
 
What a prayer!  What a legacy for us to remember!  The Church must make known the foundation upon which our nation was established.  We must not allow the agenda of those who want to take hold of our nation for their own agenda to expand any further.  It is time for the Church to take a stand to agree with God and the covenant that we made with Him.  Bob Long reminds us that God is a covenant-keeping God, He remembers how and why America was established.  "The foundational prophetic prayer is actually not well known, but its significance cannot be overstated.  God has not forgotten this original covenant entered into with Him!  Is He heartbroken with America? Yes.  Angry?  Perhaps.  Is it too late for America to be saved?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Will there be an awakening in the hearts of the American people and a return to our original Covenant with God?  YES!"
 
While prophesizing at a leadership meeting, Bob declared this statement from the Lord:  "I have not turned away from the covenant this nation made with Me, but this nation has turned away from it.  The cry of a remnant in this generation has been heard, and I am raising up a new wave of prophets to call this nation back to America's original covenant...I am shaking all things.  I am raising up more who will join the remnant.  I am raising up more who will increase the volume of My call to your nation to return to Covenant.  I am raising up more of those who will reveal My Son to the multitudes, that hearts may turn to Me.  A remnant shall be strengthened, and a nation shall be shaken, that it may be awakened!"
 
The Psalmist reminds us that God "remembers His covenant forever, the promise He made, for a thousand generations." (Psalm 105:8)  This should give us comfort.  Yet, we must also remember our roots and the covenant our nation made with God in 1607.  It is time for us to cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit in our nation.  Revival is beginning and will grow.  God wants American to return to our roots and to be a blessing to all the nations of the earth.  From the beginning, our nation was to be a place for people to worship the one true God, to teach our children and generations to come of the worthiness of the Lord, and to  spread the gospel through the world.  Let us embrace this worthy call!

​How did a colony of mealy bugs end up infesting my orchid plants?  This is the question of the week that I had to answer.  When I bring a new houseplant into my collection, I check it for bugs.  Apparently, when I brought in a new orchid plant for my window shelf, I did not look carefully enough.  Attached to the base of the underside of one of the flowers was a white, cottony speck.  Since its color matched the flower, it slipped in without my seeing it.  Female mealy bugs lay up to 500 eggs in a sac that is attached to the plant.  In the case of my orchid, she went to work by embedding her sac of eggs at the juncture of the leaves.  One leaf overlays the other in a whorl, and it is easy to tuck a miniscule sac that looks like dust into the leaf juncture so that it is undetected.
 
All I had to do was allow one bug in with my collection of orchids.  They slowly began to travel from plant to plant.  I noticed that several of the orchid leaves were looking deformed and that their tissues were beginning to break down.  The infestation was so bad that I could not save my plants, and I had to do a complete cleansing of the trays they sat on.  It was interesting for me to see that the violets that sit with them were not touched.  Violet foliage is very "hairy" and unappealing to the bugs.  One of my violets I have had since the early seventies.  I am so please that it continues to "stand its ground" and grow.
 
There is an analogy in this scenario for all of us.  We must not let our guards down.  "Be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing in the faith..." (1 Peter 5:8-9)  I believe that the enemy has targeted the United States for destruction as this nation was founded on godly principles and is meant to be a land where people worship the Lord, grow in His ways, and share their faith with the world.  The devil is shrewd.  He did not come in full force with guns blazing but slowly infiltrated our lives so that he could eventually take over. Souls of individuals are being invaded, one by one.  But we must not be naive about what is at stake. There is a global agenda to remove all traces of Christianity.
 
I grew up in a time that seems so innocent compared with today.  One example is that stores were closed on Sundays (Blue Laws) and families spent time with one another.  Sunday was a day dedicated to God.  How quickly all that has changed.  There has been a war on the very fabric of our nation.  Slowly, things have changed until we look around and say, "How did we get here?"  The "bug" has laid her eggs and attacked our culture so that it is unrecognizable.  The family is broken, abortion is sanctioned, our God-given identities are questioned, lifestyles that permit sexual promiscuity and perversion are celebrated, moral values have been redefined, education of our children has taken a wrong turn as liberal teachers attempt to control their minds, liberalism has permeated the church, and the very foundation upon which our nation was built is being destroyed.  We have allowed the enemy's agenda to take over by compromising and being complacent as we watch the fabric of our nation being shredded.
 
So, what is the bottom line?  We cannot allow complacency or compromise.  God has fit us for battle.  He chose to bring heaven to earth through a people dedicated to Him.  Each of us needs to be a light in the darkness.  We must take a stand and fight for what is right in God's eyes.  We must declare, "Not on my watch!"  God calls us to intercessory prayer as we take the authority He has given to us in the name of Jesus.  It is time for us to put on our battle gear and follow the ways of Jesus to destroy the works of the devil.  We must be like violets standing against the mealy bugs.  We must see ourselves as warriors and release the Word of God over our lives, our homes, our country, and the world.  Here is the apostle Paul's advice:  "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:3-5)  We must be vigilant, prepared to go to battle with the truth of God's word, the love of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit. The victory is ours if we follow through!

The harvest feast shared between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Native Americans in 1621 may have been one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in our country.  The second Thanksgiving celebration occurred in 1623 at the end of a season of drought.  It started with a religious fast called for because the drought had been so long.  It was during the Civil War, in 1863, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the United States should celebrate an annual Thanksgiving in November.  Lincoln entreated all Americans to ask God to "commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife" and to "heal the wounds of the nation."
 
As we sat at our Thanksgiving tables this year, I wonder how many of us remembered to ask God to care for the mourners and sufferers and to heal the wounds of our nation.  What we have lived through in the year 2020 has brought much suffering and loss.  We certainly do need to lift to the Lord our fellow men and women for God's tender mercies to be poured upon them.  Between the plagues, election intrigues, economic instability, and the necessity for people to quarantine from one another, the stress is over the top.
 
Let us remember that one of the best ways to deal with stress is to give God thanks!  There is always something that we can give thanks for.  The Old and New Testaments are filled with admonitions to give thanks.  "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." (1 Chronicles 16:34)  "I will give thanks to You, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds." (Psalm 9:1)  "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." (2 Corinthians 9:15)  "And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God's perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.  (1 Thessalonians 5:18 - TPT)  When we give thanks to the Lord, we activate His action.
 
I recently listened to Chuck Pierce of Glory of Zion International speak on what happens when we come before the Lord with grateful hearts.  Let's look at 2 Kings 4:8-37.  Here is the story of a well-to-do woman from Shunem.  (Shunem means two resting places.)  The woman invited Elisha to stay at her home for a meal.  Realizing what a blessing Elisha was, the woman and her elderly husband decided that they would build a small room on their roof for Elisha with a bed, table, chair, and lamp.  This was the woman's way of honoring Elisha and thanking God for his presence.  Elisha desired to show the Shunammite woman his gratitude and prophesied that she would have a son the following year.  This happened just as it was said.
 
The boy grew until one day he experienced an awful headache and died.  His mother carried him up to the prophets room and "laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out." (Verse 21)  She saddled a donkey and rode him to Mount Carmel (fruitful field) to talk with the man of God. Elisha returned to Shunem and found the boy "lying dead" on his bed.  Twice Elisha stretched out on top of the boy laying "mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, and hands to hands." (Verse 34) The boy awoke and was returned to his mother.
 
In her acts of kindness, the Shunammite woman not only prepared a place for Elisha to rest but also "prepared the way for the Lord."  Elisha's bed was built because the woman had a heart of gratitude.  She wanted to bless the man of God.  Chuck Pierce tells us that we must be like her in preparing a bed of thankfulness to the Lord.  Not only will this bed glorify the Lord, but it also gives us a place to lay all our distress.  Lay all your distresses on your bed of thankfulness and watch as the Lord breathes life back into them.
 
The prophet Ezekiel watched as the Lord brought new life into the dry bones of Israel.  God told Ezekiel, "...I will put breath in you, and you will come to life, then you will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:6)  It is time for us to prepare our beds of thankfulness.  Let's join the Psalmist in declaring, "You turn my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever." (Psalm 30:11-12)

"There is an all-out attempt to finally turn our nation from God and His original plans for us."  So says Dutch Sheets, pastor, author, and warrior for God's plans and purposes in the United States.  In addition, he writes, "There is an evil attempt to keep what is true, righteous, and holy from coming to the surface of awareness in our nation; however, we are coming to the moment when it will no longer be withheld."  It has become obvious that what God ordained for our nation must be fought for.  All of this has not caught God by surprise.  He has in place what we will need to "fight the good fight of faith."  (1 Timothy 6:12)
 
First, there is a network of well-respected prophets in the United States that agree in their prophecies for our country and its leadership.  Those who honor God and His Word and who partner with Him in His plans and purposes find favor with the Lord.  We must come along side of these God-appointed prophets to pray in their words.  This is what God told the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat, when his nation was being threatened by vast armies of the enemy:  "Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets and you will be successful." (2 Chronicles 20:20)
 
Secondly, it seems like the Church is awakening and finding her voice.  She is reconsidering the way that she walks. The prophet Jeremiah reminded his people that they had forgotten God.  "...They burn incense to worthless idols, which made them stumble in their ways and in the ancient paths." (Jeremiah 18:15) Jeremiah declared God's word to return to the ways of Israel's forefathers:  "Stand in the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls..." (Jeremiah 6:16)  The wind of change is in the air.  God is aiming His church back onto the right paths and the foundation of HIs unchanging truth.
 
Thirdly, there is a groundswell of people who are remembering our history and our call from God.  Our nation was birthed in prayer!  Author, Dr. Peter Lillback did exhaustive research on our nation's first president.  His book of over 1,100 pages, titled George Washington's Sacred Fire, is filled with the prayers of our founding fathers.  Lillback records Washington's thoughts and prayers and devotion toward Almighty God.  He tells us this:  "In his first Inaugural Address, Washington explained that an experiment had been entrusted to the American people.  What was at stake in America's experiment in self-government was the 'preservation of the sacred fire of liberty.'  This 'sacred fire' had been entrusted to Americans by heaven.  Liberty's flame was sacred or holy because it was sustained by heaven's 'eternal rules of order and right.'" (Page 711)
 
Finally, just as Esther was placed in the king's palace to partner with God in saving her people "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14), we were also placed on earth at this time and place to partner with God in the turning of our nation back to Him.  The prophet Isaiah says it well in Chapter 33:5-6.  "The Lord is exalted, for He dwells on high; He will fill Zion with His justice and righteousness.  He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure."  Our responsibility is to join the groundswell of prayer and to declare and decree God's plans and purposes for our nation to prevail.